Senior Software Engineer - Real-Time Control Systems & Simulation

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems:

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy.

Combining decades of research, top talent and new technologies, we’re designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants. And working with policymakers and suppliers to build the energy industry of the future.

We’re in the best position to make it happen. Since 2018, we’ve raised over $2 billion in capital – more than any other fusion energy company in the U.S.

Now we’re looking for more thinkers, doers, builders, and makers to join us. People who’ll bring new perspectives, solve tough problems, and thrive as part of a team.

If that’s you and this role fits, we want to hear from you.

Join the power movement as a Senior Software Engineer - Real-Time Control Systems & Simulation

The SPARC Software team seeks an exceptional software engineer to be a member of the Algorithms & Simulation group. This team is responsible for high-level tokamak orchestration, collaborating with fusion scientists to develop real-time plasma control algorithms, hardware-in-the-loop testbeds and simulation infrastructure necessary for validation, and develop other safety-critical control software that runs the SPARC tokamak and plant. SPARC senses thousands of physical measurements while controlling millions of amps to superconducting magnets and millions of watts of RF power to the plasma. These closed-loop systems must control at rates substantially greater than 1 kHz and must sample some parameters in the MHz range. The technology platforms involved include real-time Linux, bare-metal microcontrollers, FPGAs, and industrial PLCs. The testbeds and simulation environments must be able to validate software across all these platforms. The team will be responsible for both Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) and software-only testbeds. Specific infrastructure you will help develop may include software for test orchestration, deployment to testbeds, evaluation of test success, and automatic integration into continuous integration systems. The team will also develop models or model infrastructure for both real-time simulation (e.g. for HITL or operator training) or offline analysis (e.g. for high-fidelity algorithm development). Finally, the team will work with other software and engineering teams to define end-to-end and other integrated test cases and test plans to validate overall SPARC control software and ensure its adherence to design requirements.

What you'll do:

• Develop safety-critical tokamak control software
• Develop software infrastructure to operate Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) and software-only testbeds
• Develop simulation models and model infrastructure for both real-time and off-line (high fidelity) simulations
• Develop offline data analysis tools
• Help define and execute end-to-end and other integrated test cases and test plans to validate SPARC control software
• Work with hardware engineers to integrate/validate new components

What we’re looking for:

• Engineering degree in related field, such as computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, etc.
• Experience in developing software in python, C++, or similar languages
• Experience in developing simulations to test embedded and real-time software
• Experience in working on and developing infrastructure for Hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testbeds and software-only testbeds
• Experience with modern continuous integration and continuous deployment tools

Bonus points:

• Experience in validating software for safety-critical applications
• Experience with validating industrial control software
• Experience with developing physics based software models
• Python, C++, or similar languages
• Linux development
• Microcontroller or FPGA development
• Networking (IP/UDP/TCP)
• Software/hardware interfaces (ADCs/DACs, uarts, ethernet, etc.)
• Simulation hardware platforms (e.g. PXI)

Essential Requirements:

• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs
• Perform activities such as typing for extended periods of time
• Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call occasionally
• Work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics
• #LI-Hybrid